By Stephen Adeleye.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has sensitised Kogi residents on security awareness and other critical issues that are central to nation’s development and unity.
The Acting State Director, NOA, Kogi Directorate, Patrick Edogbanya, who led the official of the agency on a roadshow on Monday at Ganaja road, Lokoja, urged the residents to embrace moral values and shun get-rich-quick syndrome and other social vices.
Edogbanya noted that the NOA Director General, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, initiated the campaign to sensitise Nigerians on five critical national issues, which include: security awareness, get-rich-quick syndrome, tax reform bill, campaign against HIV-Aids and human rights.
He stressed that the nationwide campaign was to mobilise Nigerians to unite with the agency in its commitment to addressing the pressing issues and fostering a more informed, secure, and ethical society.
“We have discovered in Nigeria that getting-rich-quick syndrome is one of the key issues why we are getting it wrong as a nation.
“We are also out to remind the people that HIV is real and still with us in the society. So, we want the people to take the necessary precautionary measures for its prevention.
“NOA is sensitising Nigerians to always be security conscious and report any suspicious movement in their environment to the relevant authorities.
“We are enlightening Nigerian youths to shun ‘get-rich-quick syndrome’ by rejecting shortcuts to wealth and embrace integrity, hard work, and the opportunities provided through government initiatives to make life better for them.
“Imagine this get-rich-quick syndrome especially through the popular yahoo yahoo which has become so bad that even the mothers of these yahoo boys are forming ‘Associations of Yahoo Yahoo Boys’ Mothers.
“This has become prevalence that the federal government through NOA is trying to address the menace. We are taking the information to the streets to ensure that this information gets to the grassroots.
“We must have value reorientation and ensure we do the right at all times,” he said.
Edogbanya urged landlords to carry out some security checks on every prospective tenants in order to avoid giving their houses to yahoo boys and criminals.
Also speaking, Pastor Augustine Ogbonnikan, the Head of Programme, NOA, Kogi, said the campaign was going on simultaneously across the 21 local government areas of Kogi and by extension the entire 774 LGAs across the nation.
According to him, the campaign began with press conference followed by advocacy visits to schools, religious centres, town hall meetings, and engagement with security agencies.
“Today, we are embarking on roadshow to enlighten the public on the streets for grassroots mobilisation, and this will be a continuous process.
“Our youths must understand that the legal means of wealth acquisition is through hard work, determination, dedication, and resourcefulness,” Ogbonnikan said.
He, therefore urged the youths to embrace entrepreneurship and skills acquisition so as to be independent and avoid social malpractices.
The roadshow began at under Ganaja Flyover bridge through to Ganaja motto parks along the roads where flyers were distributed to the people.
The sensitisation was carried out in different languages such as Igala, Ebira, Okun, Nupe, Oworo, Housa, Bassa, and Yoruba.
